Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton This block - the 200 block of Pennsylvania Ave. W. - is the focus of a grant the City of Warren is seeking for a streetscape project.

Streetscape projects have successfully transformed the 300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue West as well as Second Avenue and Liberty in downtown Warren.

The next target? The 200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue West between Liberty Street and Market Street.

Warren City Council has agreed to go after state Multimodal Transportation Grant Funding.

Shifting streetscape work in this direction has been the plan for years.

City Manager Mike Holtz told the Times Observer that the city has applied for funding for the project five or six times over six or seven years.

“It’s to fill in the gap,” he said, between the 300 block and the completed roundabout.

City Engineer Chad Yurisic told council that the scope of work – if the grant funding is approved – would include street rehabilitation, utility relocation, new light poles, electric panels and wiring, tree replacement, curbing and other improvements like planters, benches and new sidewalks.

The project would also remove the slabs over the sidewalk vaults and fill those in.

Yurisic explained that the grant would cover 70 percent of the estimated project cost, which is $3.24 million.

He said the city would seek additional funding for the match if the funds were awarded.

Councilman Phil Gilbert asked if the mid-block crosswalk in the project area could be reevaluated or moved as part of the project.

“That kind of detail, we could certainly look at,” Holtz said.

Gilbert also asked whether the diamond inserts in the sidewalk would be brick or painted.

“(We’ve) learned as we’ve gone,” Holtz said. “We started out with the slate ones that cracked out.”

From there, the city tried to paint the diamonds but “last year, many of them were replaced with brick.

“Those seem to be doing well.”